4th July 2013

An interesting day! Minerva picked me up with Nishantha at 8.45am and we headed off to Dickwella. We twisted and turned down little back streets and got to the school which is opposite the main national school that the kids go to for 1st grade. I was not ready for what happened when we opened the gate though! I went through first and saw all the children lined up alongside the building to welcome us including a little boy (who had a learning disability) with a garland was pushed forward to hang it around my neck. He took one look at me and burst into tears. He was then, literally, dragged along to give the garland to me and the closer he got the more petrified he became and the more his screams intensified!! Anyway the garland was placed around my neck eventually and then each of us was presented with a bouquet of plastic flowers. The outside of the school had been prepared for a show and little chairs were laid out in rows and a stage set up. We sat down and a little boy welcomed us in Tamil. Then a girl who had graduated from the school last year got up and in a very loud voice – and only referring to her script once – thanked me for coming and for wanting to open a school for her ‘brothers and sisters’ in Arugam Bay and then also thanked Real Medicine Foundation (RMF). There followed four sweet performances of dances. After the performances I visited the school. There are three fully qualified teachers (High Diploma in Early Learning Education) and one assistant as well as the Director. There was one room, brightly painted and divided into two areas by an open shelf to create a space for the 3,4 year olds and 4,5 year olds. The divider stored some of the school supplies. The school was quite well stocked with puzzles, blocks, little exercise books, and construction toys and more. Children’s work was up on the walls along with the schedule and a list of the special activity that they do each month. There is evidence of support for imaginative play – a shop, a telephone and a postbox where the children can play. There was a playground with slide, swings, playhouse, climbing frame, balance equipment, coconut climbing ladder etc. It was rather worn but serviceable. There is no other playground in the town and the children come early in the morning before school and stay on after school each day to play. The parents do not pay fees at the school. The teacher’s salaries are paid by RMF. Parents are, however, very involved with the school though and were responsible for putting in the playground equipment amongst other things. The Director was a kind-hearted man who speaks English well and his involvement with the school is voluntary. He is not paid. He is self taught and bright and works for his community. He is the town coroner too and I am sure he has fingers in other pies, which produce an income. His wife is the head teacher at the school. Overall I was very impressed with the way the school looked – I did not, however, see the children being taught! Our visit ended with the usual Fanta/Sprite bottle, plantain and biscuits. After the school we went to Nishantha’s house to meet his wife and one year old son. The wife is an ICU nurse and she takes the day off when Nishantha has to leave home – thus they share the childcare. Nishantha works from home for Real Medicine and so does Minerva. We were entertained to tea, plantain and biscuits! I then went to Minerva’s house as she needed some help to download the photos I had taken. She is about my age I think. She has six children (all grown) and nine grandchildren. She was married to a doctor who died 13 years ago. She has some ‘qualification’ to buy and prescribe medications and people locally come to her for this service. She also teaches English to hotel employees. She lives about 100 meters from the sea. Her house was washed away in the tsunami. She was not there, she was in fact in the church (she is a Christian) with her family remembering the anniversary of her husbands death. Her housekeeper was at home with others preparing a special meal. The helpers ran away when the sea came but her housekeeper is disabled and could not run and so she clung onto some house structure and miraculously survived. Minerva lost her house and most of her possessions (her photos are a particular loss). The government assessment and subsequent pay out was slow and inadequate. Minerva had lost her means of making a living as she was teaching English and lost all her books. She ended up working for an NGO called GTZ and they funded the rebuilding of her house. The government have abandoned the rule about no building within 100 meters of the sea (mainly because people refused to be rehoused) but they do require you to put a second floor on your house if you are within 100 meters of the sea. Minerva has finished the bottom of her house and is working on the top floor now. She seems competent. I think RMF’s interest in us is a financial one. They will earn a bit more money and it will give them a bit more to do. Real Medicine is a small charity in SL started by Dr Martina Fuchs who came to SL after the tsunami and started a clinic, which was needed at the time. Out of the work at the clinic grew the need to start a preschool for the poor Tamil community. The other school I presume started the same way. The original clinic is now closed but another one is running in a Tamil community where there is a doctor visit three times a week and the consultations and medications are free to the community. Martina does all her fundraising in the US and the charity operates in a bigger way in Pakistan, India and Indonesia. Tomorrow is Palathudwa school. Alex’s summary Aerian visited Minhath Preschool and was greeted with lovely performances from the children. Here are some notes on what she discovered: • There are 3 paid trained teachers and 1 helper/assistant teacher (salaries paid by Real Medicine) • There are 44 children who attend the school (a group of 3 and 4 year olds and a group of 4 and 5 year olds) • There is 1 large classroom space divided into 2 spaces by shelves where they keep materials • There is a lovely playground like the one we have pictures of • Lots of materials like puzzles and arts and crafts things • Children do age appropriate activities such as arts and crafts, some notebook work. • They learn Sinhalese and English as well as Tamil • Families do not pay tuition • The director is also not paid • Parents are very involved (they occasionally come to organize activities with children) Tomorrow Aerian is visiting another school. I will be logging in at 3pm my time to find out more about Aerian's day :)